alarm, he fell on his
knees by the bedside murmuring:

"Hush, mother, be silent." She stood up with terrible determination
and energy.

"I have nothing more to say, my child. Good-by." And she went toward
the door.

He threw his arms about her exclaiming:

"What are you doing, mother; where are you going?"

"I do not know. How should I know--There is nothing left for me to do,
now that I am alone."

She struggled to be released. Holding her firmly, he could find only
words to say again and again:

"Mother, mother, mother!" And through all her efforts to free herself
she was saying:

"No, no. I am not your mother now. I am nothing to you, to
anybody--nothing, nothing. You have neither father nor mother now,
poor boy--good-by."

It struck him clearly that if he let her go now he should never see
her again; lifting her up in his arms he carried her to an armchair,
forced her into it, and kneeling down in front of her barred her in
with his arms.

"You shall not quit this spot, mother. I love you and I will keep you!
I will keep you always--I love you and you are mine."

She murmured in a dejected tone:

"No, my poor boy, it is impossible. You weep to-night, but to-morrow
you would turn me out of the house. You, even you, could not forgive
me."

He replied: "I? I? How little you know me!" with such a burst of
genuine affection that with a cry, she seized his head by the hair
with both hands, and dragging him violently to her kissed him
distractedly all over the face.

Then she sat still, her cheek against his, feeling the warmth of his
skin through his beard, and she whispered in his ear: "No, my little
Jean, you would not forgive me to-morrow. You think so, but you
deceive yourself. You have forgiven me this evening, and that
forgiveness has saved my life; but you must never see me again."

And he repeated, clasping her in his arms:

"Mother, do not say that."

"Yes, my child, I must go away. I do not know where, nor how I shall
set about it, nor what I shall do; but it must be done. I could never
look at you, nor kiss you, do you understand?"

Then he in his turn spoke into her ear:

"My little mother, you are to stay, because I insist, because I want
you. And you must pledge your word to obey me, now at once."

"No, my child."

"Yes, mother, you must; do you hear? You must."

"No, my child, it is impossible. It would be condemning us all to the
tortures of hell. I know what that torment i